As summer arrives in Nakusp, so does the annual Art Walk, hosted by the Arrow Lakes Fine Arts Guild (ALFA).
This is the third year for Art Walk, which takes place in various businesses over July, August, and September.
Art Walk was created through an event called the “Saturday Art Tour,” which was hosted by several artists in the area. ALFA took over Art Walk three years ago and turned it into what it is now.
Opening night took place at Selkirk College, which is also one of the venues. Local drumming group Boombasa performed and passersby could hear their playing halfway down the street. They performed a rhythmic beat that had people swaying to the music.
The front room of the college features art from a variety of artists and a variety of mediums. Some are the traditional paint and photography, while others are mixed medium, and clay.
Residents were very pleased with the opening night, and look forward to checking out various businesses over the coming months.
“It’s a really nice event for the town,” said Deb Rushfeldt, a member of ALFA. “We have a chance to showcase local art without having to run a gallery. It’s good for the businesses that are involved as well.”
In total, 16 businesses are involved with Art Walk this year. Most are in the downtown area, but some, like Studio Connexion and the Nakusp Arena take a little bit longer to walk to.
Having Art Walk is proving to be profitable not only for business, but for tourism as well.
“I own a bed and breakfast, and it’s a nice addition to our town from a tourism point of view,” said Tammy Dachwitz. I also buy local art now, and it’s amazing. We’re so blessed to have this many amazing people in our community.”
Rushfeldt agrees.
“I think it’s a really nice thing for the town,” she said. “It’s a great thing for tourists, when they come into town they can walk around and look at art, and lots of people find that interesting.”